Sleep didn't come easily that night.
Damian lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.
The silence around him was heavy. The spot beside him where his brother used to crash in their younger days felt heavier than ever. Nothing exhausted him more than the quiet burden Emma carried with her.
Not even the fight with the board or the whispers about succession.
And now there was her, Elena.
He couldn't stop thinking about her
She hadn't looked at him like the world did.
No Awe
No flattery
No fear
Just calm resolve
and pain
Who are you?
The question pulsed in his thoughts
By morning, he was still awake without answers
A soft knock came at the bedroom door
He sat up immediately "come in"
Emma walked in wearing her bunny slippers, her teddy bear tucked beneath her arm.
She climbed up beside him, curled into his side as if she belonged there
He ran a hand gently over her head "Did you sleep okay?"
She nodded faintly
"Pancakes?" he asked
A tiny nod once again
The morning moved along quietly and familiar. Emma drawing silently while Damian cycled through is never ending emails and calls.
Shareholder questions
Legal briefings
PR firestorms
But even while he worked, his thoughts drifted
To the woman in the hospital waiting area. The sadness in her eyes.
He didn't want to cross a line but he needed to know
He pulled up the hospital's donor portal. His contributions to the pediatric and emergency wings granted him access to internal directories.
He justified the search as concern for the woman who had showed unexpected kindness to his niece
He typed in the date and filtered the results
There it was
Elena Hart, Oncology Ward
His breath hitched
So she wasn't there for someone else
She was the patient
The leaned back in his chair, the weight of that knowledge sinking into him
Cancer
No wonder she looked like she was carrying a thousand silent battles. She wasn't just sad. She was enduring
He told himself to close the file, to forget her. She was a stranger
But something inside him said otherwise
He picked up his phone and sent a text to his best friend
D; Need a favor. Discreet
A moment later, Leo replied
L; Trouble already? what's up?
D; I need information. A woman name Elena Hart. She was at the Westlife hospital, oncology. Don't go too far, just what is necessary
L; Give me an hour
Damian stared at the screen, his mind racing with questions he didn't know how to ask.
He almost didn't send the follow-up but he did
D; I'm considering her for the marriage
The typing bubble appeared, then vanished. Reappeared again
L; You are serious?
D; Just a possibility but I need to know
By early afternoon, Leo walked into Damian's office and tossed a folder on the desk
"No Major red flags" Leo said, dropping into the guest chair "Elena Hart is twenty-eight, Married, used to work as an administrative assistant at a small finance company. Quit a little over a year ago"
Leo went on "She was diagnosed with stage 1 liver cancer"
Damian brow furrowed "Still married?"
Leo nodded "Yeah, name is Nathan Hart but it is messy. On paper, they are still together. No legal separation, no filings"
Leo sighed and continued "From what I could gather, Nathan has been having an affair with Elena's best friend, Clarissa Daniels. They have been careful not to go public but there are enough indicators. The betrayal isn't a rumor but real and I'm not sure if she knows herself"
Damian sat, jaw clenched. That explained the pain in her eyes
She wasn't abandoned because of her illness, she was betrayed long before it.
Silently suffering alone
"She is still in it" Leo added. "Legally tied to a scumbag who is stabbing her in the back and age is fighting cancer on top of it"
Damian stared at the file for a moment, then closed it
"She doesn't know I looked into her and she won't, not unless I decide to act" he murmured
Leo's voice lowered "Are you sure you want to involve yourself in something this complicated?"
Damian didn't answer right away
Instead he swirled his chair, facing the window where the city stretched beneath them. The skyline flickered in the fading afternoon sun
"She didn't look at me like the world does. Nor like I was a man with power, or money, or problems. She looked at me like she was too tired to pretend anymore"
Leo said nothing, he didn't need to
Damian whispered "Elena Hart"
By evening, Damian found himself standing in the hospital lobby.
The receptionist glanced up, recognition flashing in her eyes. Money had a way of announcing itself before he even spoke.
"Mr Blackwood?" she said.
"I'm looking for a patient" he said. "Elena Hart, Oncology wing"
There was a pause "Are you family?"
"No" He hesitated, then added "Just a friend"
The word felt strange in his mouth.
She gave him a tight smile "Room 212. Down the hall, second left"
He nodded his thanks and made his way through the corridors, walls painted in soft pastels as if color could make pain easier to carry.
The closer he got, the slower his steps became.
When he reached the door, he knocked.
A moment later, it opened.
Elena stood in the doorway, barefoot in sweatpants and a cardigan, hair tied in a loose bun. She looked surprised to see him.
"Damian?"
He nodded. "Evening"
Her brow creased. "Is Emma okay?"
"She's fine" he said quickly. "Sleeping. I just… I wanted to talk"
"About what?"
He hesitated. "I know this is going to sound strange. But I think we can help each other"
Her guard was up instantly. "What do you mean?"
"I know about the hospital" he said softly. "About your diagnosis"
She stiffened. "You looked into me?"
"I did but not to judge you or pity you. I just needed to understand"
Her lips pressed together. "Why?"
"Because I'm considering offering you a proposition"
A long pause.
She raised an eyebrow. "What kind of proposition?"
Damian looked her dead in the eye.
"Marry me"
Her face went blank.
"Excuse me?"
"Not a real marriage" he added quickly. "A contract, legal, practical. You get healthcare, stability, resources. I get what I need to retain full custody of my niece"
Elena leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed tightly.
"I'm married"
"I know but you are alone"
She flinched, just slightly.
"I don't want charity" she said flatly.
"This isn't charity. It's an arrangement and you would be in control of the term. If you say no, I walk away. No pressure but I had to ask"
She stared at him, eyes unreadable. Then softly "Why me?"
"Because you didn't look at me like the rest of the world does" he said quietly. "You didn't see my name. You saw a child in pain"
She blinked, lips parting slightly.
Damian took a card from his pocket and held it out. "If you ever want to talk, call me. If not, no hard feelings"
She looked at it, then at him and took the card
He didn't push further.
He nodded once and stepped back into the night.